Fire Blanket Given as Gift Helped Extinguish Fire That Injured Ashley Nevel at Her Woodland Hills Apartment
WOODLAND HILLS, LOS ANGELES (February 23, 2026)— A woman identified as Ashley Nevel was injured after a portable charger exploded and set her Woodland Hills apartment on fire.
The victim told reporters that the incident happened over a week ago. Ashley Nevel put her phone down when a portable charger exploded near her bed.
The blast began a fire burning inside of her bedroom. She tried to put it out with a blanket, but that proved to be ineffective.
However, she was able to eventually put it out with the fire blanket given to her by her father as a housewarming gift.
Ashley Nevel told reporters that she bought the product from Amazon. She went to the hospital to receive treatment for chemical burns across her hand and arm.
Liability for Woodland Hills Battery Explosions
Product manufacturers have a legal obligation to ensure that the products they sell are reasonably safe. They must follow all safety requirements and regularly test their products. Companies that make devices with lithium-ion batteries must be particularly cautious. It has long been known that these devices pose a serious explosion and fire hazard in certain situations. There are a number of ways any product with lithium-ion batteries could be defective.
- Manufacturing Defects: A portable charger may have manufacturing defects at the cell level. This could be due to cell imbalance or electrolyte contamination.
- Battery Management System (BMS) Defects: A portable charger may have battery management system defects. The BMS in these devices is supposed to prevent overcharging and overheating.
- Charger Defects: A portable charger may have poor voltage regulation or no temperature monitoring system.
If a portable charger or other device with lithium-ion batteries has designed defects that make it likely to explode, this could form the basis of a product liability claim. Product liability claims are typically pursued as a strict liability offense. In other words, a manufacturer will be liable when their product is defective, even if they exercised a great deal of care to avoid harm.
Steps to Take After Being Injured by Portable Battery Chargers
Many people have been injured every year in accidents involving devices that contain lithium-ion batteries. According to the Fire Safety Research Institute, “Fatal fires involving lithium-ion batteries have drawn increased attention in recent years, including in New York City where the use of e-mobility devices is common. In 2023, there were 268 reported fires, 150 reported injuries, and 18 fatalities involving such devices in the city.” Certain measures should be taken after any accidents involving a portable charger or other device with lithium-ion batteries.
- The victim should seek medical attention as early as possible.
- The device that caused the injury should be stored in a secure location where it is not likely to cause further harm.
- It should be determined if the product involved in the accident was on a recall list.
- Victims should seek the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney.
Accidents involving devices with lithium-ion batteries are often highly preventable. They often involve situations where companies take major shortcuts in terms of safety. This includes situations where a company may use subpar material to construct lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, the companies that make these products will virtually never accept responsibility when someone is injured. This is why it’s so important for victims to carefully consider their legal options with an experienced attorney.
Investigating Los Angeles Portable Charger Explosions
We at Carrazco Law extend our best wishes to Ashley Nevel as she continues to recover. It is our sincere hope that she will be able to make a full recovery. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong so that other incidents can be prevented. Many questions remain unanswered at this time.
Have you or somebody you care about been injured in an accident with a portable charger? You may be entitled to significant financial compensation. Our team of experienced injury attorneys is here for you. We are committed to helping accident victims get the medical and financial support that they need to recover. Whether you just have legal questions or are wondering how an attorney might be able to help with your particular situation, we are here to assist you. You can contact us anytime at (800) 541-3244.
